Former President Donald Trump has been slammed with a $5,000 fine. The fine was imposed after a derogatory post about a court staffer involved in his civil fraud trial in New York was discovered on his campaign website. Despite a court order demanding its removal, the post remained on the site for several weeks.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who levied the fine, refrained from holding Trump in contempt of court at this time. However, he reserved the right to do so in the future, which could potentially result in more severe penalties, including imprisonment, if Trump violates the gag order again.
While this is a first-time violation and the fine is nominal, Judge Engoron made it clear that any future violations would not be taken lightly. He warned that such violations could result in more substantial financial penalties and even potential imprisonment.
Trump’s attorney, Christopher Kise, attributed the oversight to the vastness of Trump’s campaign machinery. He assured the court that the retention of the post was unintentional. Following Judge Engoron’s intervention, the post was promptly removed from the website.
Judge Engoron emphasized that the ultimate responsibility lies with Trump, regardless of who within his campaign failed to remove the post. The fine must be paid within 10 days.